Pencil-sharpener.



' PATENTED UGT. 2,- 1906.

r. E. *v. BAINBs. PENCIL SHARPBNBR. -f

APPLICATION -ILED TBB. 24. 190B.

' Non asume-SHEET z.

F'lcl. F'|c.|7.

l N VEN To R. I/m'fzeq.

WITNESSES;

mt lulu cof, yum, n, z

llO

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE;

PENCIL-SHARPENER.

f Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

Application filed February 24:, 1906. Serial No. 302,746.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK EDWARD VEsEY BAINEs, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 16 Gloucester Place,Greenwich, in the county of Kent, England, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Pencil-Sharpeners, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that type of socalled pocket pencil-Sharpenerswhich consists of an internally-coned part, hereinafter called the bodypart, having a cutaway part forming a longitudinal opening therein andof a ixed cutting-blade project-I ing through said opening. This typeof'pencil-Sharpener having no moving parts is mexpensive to constructand is convenient and portable in form; but as vat present made it isdeiicient in practical utihty, owing to the fact that the cutting edgeof the blade operates against the grain of the wood ofthe encil, andconsequently does not cut it easily or cleanly, and, further, it is aptto cause a lateral strain u onthe graphite or lead of the pencil, whictends to break it as soon as the edge of the cutting-blade loses itssharpness. In pencil- Sharpeners of this type the cutting edge of theblade has hitherto been located either parallel with one side of theconed hole in the body part and on one side of the axis thereof or atsuch an angle therewith that the front en'd of the blade-fi. e., the endnearest to the smaller end of the coned hole-is in advance oi the rearend, with the result that the blade always cuts against the grain of thewood forming the sheath of the lead or graphite oi the pencil.

According to the present invention the blade is so mounted on the bodypart with respect to the coned hole that its cutting edge lies acrossthe 4longitudinal slot in the said body part, with the result that thepoint produced on the encil is not a straight-sided cone, but a cone t esides of which are concave or inwardly curved. A blade to be operativein this position must not have a flat under side, as is common withblades used for these devices, but must be formed with a clearance onits under side immediately behind the cutting edge, which clearance canbe produced by backing oli or undercutting either by grinding orshaping.

The number of blades employed in each Sharpener depends upon the shapeit is de-l sired to give to the point of the pencil, which may be variedfrom a single concave-sided cone, which can be produced by a singleblade,

to a series oi concave-sided cones either mergr tance apart the bladesare fixed, the plane in which they lie with respect to the side of thecone-shaped hole, and the angle their cutting edges make with the axialline ofthe said hole determine the sha e that is given to the point ofthe pencil. hen a plurality of blades is employed, they may convenientlyb e arranged on more than one side of the coned hole.

Although the blades hereinbefore described may be employed for cuttingboth the wood and the lead or graphite of the pencil, it is preferred toemploy them for cutting the wood part only and to provide a separatecutting device for sharpening the lead or graphite. Such a cutterconsists of a wholly or partially cone shaped thimble of steel or othersuitable metal, the open end of which is'slotted in several places, soas to form V- shaped depressions, the junction of the inner edges of thesaid depressions with the interior of the thimble producing the cuttingedges, When such an auxiliary cutter is employed, it ispreferablyarranged axially with the coned hole having the blades forcutting the wood part of the pencil; but this is not obligatory. When solocated,l however, in

inverse position, it conveniently forms a stop for the end of the leadof the pencil to bear against when the other part of the Sharpener isbeing used, and thus prevents the wooden part of the pencil being cut towaste. The

cutter for the lead may be mounted in a coned hole of the same angle asthe larger one in inverse position, so that when the shaped part of thewood engages the plain end it operates as a stop by preventing theforward movement of the pencil to prevent 'the lead part being cut awayto waste. holes may either or both be provided with cylindricalextensions to Jform guides for the pencil.

in order that this invention may be fully IOO The coned understood, Iwill more particularly describe l:

the bodypart.

- blades.

I .tingfthezwooden part ofithe pencil.

.fand 116 are .views =in elevation, lpartly in sec- ".tionfandlplan,;1'espectively, .of the cutter for A:cutting the lead or ygraphite-of 'the pencil;v

it, making yreference .to kthe accompanying drawings, :in which-` Figurel is a view in front elevation-ola Sharpener Aconstructed according tothis in-l vention having one cutting-blade. Fig. 2 is a Aview intransverse section thereof on line a; x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view inside elevation of Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the cutter forcutting the wooden part of the pencil. Figs. 5 and 6 are views inelevation, partly in section and plan, respectively,A of 'thecutter forcutting the lead or graphiteof the pencil; and Fig. 7 is a view .showingtheshapeofthe point of a pencil cut :withfthls-sharpener. lFig. Sis aview in front lelevationfofa -sliarpener 'having two cuttinglFigs. 9 andl0 are views in trans- -versesection-fonlines remand y y,'respectively,:of vFig.f8. Figs. v111, l2, and 13 are -views in 'Ifrontelevatiom sideelevation, and plan, respectively, `of lthe body part. Fig. 14 is a`view'iin front elevationof the cutter for cut- Figs. 15

and Fig. 17vis-aviewshowing the shape of the `:point .of the pencil cut'by this sharpener.` Figs 18-and y1 gare-views in frontA and sideelevation, respectively, .of asharpener having a gplura'lity Vof blades.`Figs. 20 fand '21 are .similar views in 'longitudinal section thereof;

.'and .Figs. `22 and`23 are views -in-elevation :and iplan, showing theshape of the point Aof Kthe -pencil cut with this Sharpener.

'Throughout the views similar parts :are

' :marked 'with flike :letters of reference.

` `tapered holefa-z'.-e.,`to the average angleof itheiconcavessidediconeitis-'intended to shape -the :p oint of the pencil :to-so as to l expose`,the .eonedlholeiaintheshape of a longitudinal slot 4.or @pening 4t2.@n the face Aa. of vthe cut- :away parto'fthe lbody A lis amounted thecutiing-bladeB in such a positionthatitscutting .edge b iliesracross.theaxial lineiofthe coned hole, fand .thereforeof ithe longitudinalslot or opening faz lin :the ibody part. To give the 4cutting .edge fbof ithe blade the :necessary fclearanceon :the underside `to-enable litto -be- :come operative, iit is .shaped or i'ormed with .-an :undercutfb', -as shown. The `knife ymay :bexi-Xedfto the bodyspartinanysuitablemanf'ner, aconvenientonebeingitot it vagainst-.a projection,such .as aon :the `face a, :and :to t odk it jin :position :bya single`screwC, lthread- `edii'ntotthe face-a and engagingiby'itsheada .corner"b2, yformed :in the bladezby cutting or shaping, :as shown. 'Thefpositionof 'the lcutting-blade may be so arranged as to cut awaybot-ht'he 'wood..and lthe leadofathe pencil; but lit is ,preferable :to4femploy a separate cutterfor the lead part. Such acutter may consist ofa steel bush D, having a series of radially-arranged V-shaped slots d,cut or rformedinone end, as shownin Figs. 5 and 6. This cutter maybelocated in any convenient .part of thebodypart A, but preferablyaxially with respect to the coned hole a, in which case the base of thecutter can conveniently yform a stop for the lead of the pencil to abutagainst, and soprevent the wood of the pencil being cut to waste. Thistype of sharpener having one blade is only adapted to sharpen pencils ofa small diameter.

Referring to Figs.'8,'9, 10, 11, l2, .13, 14, 15, and 16, whichillustrate a sharpenerjfor use with pencils of lthe usual size, twocutting-blades B areemployed, and'they are so arranged -withrespect toone another that the point of the pencilisiformed, asshownin Fig. 17,*oftwo concave-sided conedlparts o v and 'two -straight or parallel parts wand w', thus making the point `a llong one. The desired length of pointcanbe obtained-either bylincreasing the lengths ofthestraightoriparallel parts orby increasing thenumber of both theconcave-sided coned yparts'and-the straight or lparallel-parts bytheemployment ofmorecutvting-blades.

Referring-to Figs. 118, 19, 20, and 21, when Yitis desired to formthepoint of the pencilof a 'seriesof `concave-sided `cones merging.fintoa one another, as shown=in Fig. 22, itrisfnecessary to employ alarger -numberof cuttingblades, =in which case the blades are ,prefer-:ably-arranged in two groups,one onfeac'h side of the body part, asshown, thearrangement f being-such that `the bladesof onegroup itake upYthe cut fromthe blades of the other-group, and so between them producea continuous fout, as ydiagrammatically shown 2in Figs. 22 .and'23.

:I lwish :it to be understood that 'this :invention is applicablenotonly to sharpeners in which the necessary rotary .action :is producedlby the Vtwo 'hands'of the operator, ibut it is also `applicable ftothose :instruments @in whic'hrthe rotary motioniis'obtainedmechanically.

What I Aclaimas lmy-vinvention, and desire vto secure by Letters Patent,isl l. The fcombination in a Kpencil-sha11 ener,

`of a body parthaving a coned :hole .t erein and a cut-away .partforming a longitudinal .slotor opening-.into-saidconed hole, :androfka:cutting-blade fbacked off for :undercut on :its under -sideimmediately'b e'hind the' cutting edge, the said blade =being mountedonfsaid cut-away part Aofthe body part so 'that =its cutting `edge 5liesacross `the said longitudinal slot oropening in said :body part,assetforth.

2. The combination fin a pencil-Sharpener of :a vbody part having aconed lhole .therein and stepped cut-away parts formingfa .longiitudinal.slot or opening `into vsaid -rconed hole backed off cutting- IOO IIO

blades so mounted on the stepped portions of the cut-away part of thebody part that their cutting edges lie parallel With each other acrossthe longitudinal slot or opening inthe body part, as set forth.

3. The combination in a pencil-Sharpener, of a body part having a conedhole therein and oppositely arranged cut -aWay parts forminglongitudinal slots or openingsinto said coned hole, and of tWocutting-blades each having a plurality of cutting edges mounted on saidcut-away parts of the body part so that said cutting edge lies acrossthe axis of thepconed hole, the inclination of the said cutting edgesbeing such that the ends of said edges nearest to the larger end of theconed hole are in advance of the other ends of said cutting edges inrelation to the direction in which the pencil is rotated to besharpened, as set forth.

4. The combination in a pencil-sharpener, of a body part having a conedhole therein and a cut-away part forming a longitudinal slot or o eninginto said coned hole, and of a cuttinglad backed off or undercut on itsunder side immediately behind the cuttiny edge the said blade beinmounted on sai cut-away part of the bo y part so that its cutting 'edgelies across the said longitudinal slot or opening in said body oart, theinclination of .the cutting edge of the said blade being such that theend of said edge nearest to the larger end 4of the coned hole 1s inadvance of the other end of said cutting edge in relation to thedirection in which the pencil is rotated to be sharpened, as set forth.

5. The combination in a pencil-Sharpener, of a body part having a conedhole therein and a cut-away part forming a longitudinal slot or openinginto said coned hole, and of a plurality of cutting-blades backed off orundercut on their under sides immediately behind their cutting edges thesaid blades being mounted on said cut-away part of the body part inechelon, each with its cutting edge at an angle With and intersectingthe said longitudinal slot or opening in said body part, the inclinationof the cutting edges being such that the ends of said edges nearest tothe larger end of the coned hole are in advance of the other ends ofsaid cutting edges in relation to the direction in which the pencil isrotated to be sharpened, as set forth.

6. The combination in a pencil-Sharpener, of a body part having a conedhole therein and a plurality of cut-away parts forming longitudinalslots or openings into said coned hole, and of a plurality ofcutting-blades backed off or undercut on their under sides immediatelybehind their cutting edges, the said blades being arranged in groups onsaid cut-away parts of the body part the blades of each group havingtheir cutting edges at an angle With and intersecting one of thelongitudinal slots or openings in said body part, the inclination of thecutting edges being such that the ends of said edges nearest to thelarger end ofthe coned hole are in advance of the other ends of saidcutting edges in relation to the direction in Which the pencil isrotated to be sharpened7 as set forth.

FREDERICK EDWARD VESEY BAINES.

Witnesses:

G. V. SYMEs, H. D. JAMESON.

